This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com

The company had some ground to make up with gamers after the Xbox One was unveiled three weeks ago at an event that focused on its TV-viewing capabilities. It has also been courting controversy by changing how used games will work on the new console, but the company chose not to address that in at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles Monday.

Instead, the focus was on games, and the company showed off a number of new exclusives in development for the console. Toronto-based Capybara games has a new game called Below coming for the console. As well, there will be a new is shooter being created by Victoria, B.C.-based Black Tusk, a Microsoft-owned studio. Capcom Vancouver also showed off Dead Rising 3, an open-world sequel to that zombie-fighting game. There was a glimpse of the new Halo 5, which will be coming in 2014.

Beyond that, there were games like Titanfall, a multiplayer shooter where players can also control large robotic mech suits from Respawn, the former developers of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Project Spark is a voice-controlled game that helps you create other games and Crimson Dragon lets you play as large flying dragons. Crytek showed off Ryse: Son of Rome, a war game set in the ancient civilization and more of Quantum Break, a new shooter that will also tie in to a TV show.

Article Continued Below

Other exclusives shown included Killer Instinct, a sequel to original arcade fighting game, and Sunset Overdrive, a cartoon-graphic laden open-world shooter from Insomniac Games.

Non-exclusive games that will have some exclusive features on the new console include Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, Battlefield 4, the next game in the military shooter series, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the sprawling fantasy RPG from Poland’s CD Projekt Red. Minecraft will also be playable on the Xbox One.

Microsoft also announced it was moving to real currency in its online store, Xbox Live, which up until now has used its proprietary Microsoft points. As well, Xbox Live gold members will now also receive two free games a month. This is similar to Sony’s PlayStation Plus program, which has been offering older games free to members for the past year. As well, the Xbox One will also have a game-centric digital video recorder and upload studio to easily capture, edit and share gameplay footage online.

Reaction has been largely negative since Microsoft revealed its plans for the new Xbox One three weeks ago with complaints about how used games will work and too much focus TV integration. The company’s presentation Monday did not address those concerns and instead focused heavily on games, revealing a bunch of new titles and some information on on blockbuster franchises, such as previously announced Call of Duty: Ghosts and the new Halo.

The company launched a blog post Thursday explaining how used games new restrictions will work. They are only for boxed copies of games. You can lend a game to one friend for free, as long as they have been on your Xbox Live friend list for 30 days. Games will only be allowed to be traded in at participating (i.e. approved) retailers, and only if a game’s publisher enables it. And unrelated, but also raising some gamers’ ire, is that while the Xbox One will not need a persistent internet connection to work, it will need to connect online once every 24 hours to continue to work. Some of these restrictions have been labelled anti-consumer.

Article Continued Below

The launch was also slightly marred by audio issues during some of the game announcements, particularly during the gameplay demo for Battlefield 4.

The company will still also support the Xbox 360 and announced a few games coming to the console, the formerly PC-only World of Tanks and a cartoony looking game called Max: The Curse of the Brotherhood. The company also unveiled a redesigned Xbox 360, which takes designs cues from the boxier Xbox One, which will be available in stores immediately.

More from The Star & Partners

LOADING

Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or distribution of this content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. To order copies of Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com